Spoons are commonly provided in table settings and commonly used by individuals as an utensil for eating a variety of foods such as hot or cold cereals, soup and some vegetables such as peas. A number of variations of common spoons are also known. For example, a Tang U.S. Pat. No. 4,835,864 discloses a combination fork/spoon utensil. As described therein, a combination utensil capable of being alternatively used as a fork and a spoon comprises an elongate handle, a spoon-shaped head attached to the handle, and a moveable plate. The spoon-shaped head has a cut out portion at its forward end. The cut out portions provide at least two tines. The plate is capable of being moved between two positions. In one position, the plate substantially covers the cut out portion of the head and the utensil forms a spoon. In the other position, the cut out portion of the head is substantially uncovered and the utensil forms a fork.
A more recent Watson U.S. Pat. No. 6,134,790 discloses a utensil for children wherein the utensil includes a planar flexible handle portion and a semi-rigid utensil portion. The utensil portion includes a ridge and a handle which engages the handle portion. A mouth guard is included and is disposed at the junction of the handle and utensil portion. Included among the utensils are a spoon, fork and toothbrush. A kit of utensils is also disclosed.
Finally, a spoon for peeling fruit is disclosed in a U.S. Pat. No. 6,898,857 of Ruben. As disclosed therein a hand utensil for peeling and pitting a fruit, such as a mango, has a spoon-shaped bowl through which a plurality of elongated generally parallel slots laterally extend in a lower region of the concave surface between the proximal end and the distal end of the bowl. In addition, a series of arcuate ridges project form the concave surface of the bowl, wherein each arcuate ridge has a radius of curvature extending from a center point on a longitudinal axis defined by the bowl.
Notwithstanding the above, it is presently believed that there is a need and a potentially commercial market for an improved training spoon for training individual's not to bite down on a spoon. There should be a market for such spoons because they provide an audible warning when an individual bites down on a spoon and trains an individual to avoid the likelihood of cracking or chipping a tooth and for making an objectionable noise while eating. Further, the spoons in accordance with the present invention can be produced at a competitive price, are durable and have the overall appearance of a regular spoon.